House Tiuse
"Eternal Shepherds." —The Creed of Tiuse Recent newcomers to the cuthroat world of the Rogue Trader, House Tiuse takes an interest in other affairs than simply the acquisition of wealth. In keeping with their creed they are concerned with the souls of humans who do not know The Emperor, and so make a tidy profit serving the interests of the local Ministorum. Their ships house missionaries, pilgrims, and colonists intent on bringing the Imperial Cult to the wildest and most distant reaches of the Segementum Obscurus. Through their vast network of small but well-armed fleets House Tiuse brings the light of the Imperium to the distant stars and supports the every expanding borders of humanity while also transporting millions to holy sites. They are primarily a space faring house, having no worlds under their direct control though they have established a network of trading outposts on colony worlds.They are often considered a fairly altruistic Rogue Trader House, their shipping focusing on maintaining and supplying their scattered colonies and missions on alien worlds. Delevan Tiuse has overseen his house from his flagship, The Ambition class Cruiser Lux Aeterna Terra for over a century''. His few symbols of wealth are a simple gold pocketwatch kept inside a billowing black coat worn over carapace armor and a red sash from which hangs a mastercrafted power sword and bolt pistol. He looks the part of a fiery preacher, wearing his hair long and loose and with an Aquila pendant and the images of several saints hung around his neck. He is unafraid to charge into battle alongside his men with his weapons in hand and roaring a sermon above the sounds of battle. Notable House Members Andred Sokhmann Recruited many years ago from the slums of a Hive City he followed the House for simple reasons- food, shelter and clothing. He joined their armed forces as a common soldier, eventually rising to become commander of the Shepherd's Guard. he is not a blood relative but is still seen as one of them and his decades of faithful service to the House have made him a valuable friend and counselor to Delevan Tiuse. Despite taking advantage of advanced medical treatments provided by his House he still carries the scars of many of his worst battles. He uses them to motivate his men- if he, a mere man, can survive such things so can they. Overseeing far flung battlefields from the House flagship he nonetheless fights alongside his men and the House Head from time to time,his advanced age slowing him very little. Otmar Kohl The de-facto Admiral of House Tiuse's fleet he is equal parts merchant and soldier and as capable with a dataslate as he is with a lasgun. Like Sokhmann he too is seen as an equal to the House leaders for without him House Tiuse would not be nearly as successful in any of their ventures. Born as the second son of a noble family, he left home at a young age to seek the fortune he would never inherit otherwise. He found House Tiuse through a group of pilgrims visiting a holy site on his homeworld and he has remained in their service ever since.He quickly secured an officer's position and from their a captaincy, but only after more than six decades he earned the highest office in the fleet, answering only to the House Head. "Patriarch" Gismar Mahler Largely lacking in formal religious Gismar Mahler nonetheless serves as the chaplain aboard the House Flagship and serves in the same position, albeit unofficially for the Shepherd's guard. He came to the House decades ago after an unspecified incident that saw him expelled from seminary before he could finish his training. Despite this Delevan Tiuse's staff were impressed by his genuine contrition and his abilities to preach and teach and so hired him without asking further questions. More than a half century later the priest, now almost eighty years old retains his youthful vigor due to juvenat treatments and so he can often be found encouraging both House employees and their masters or among their soldiers on a battlefield. Shepherd's Guard structure and equipment ''For The Emperor and The Imperium, For our house. '' ''For the pilgrim and the Vagabond '' I will fight and die where and when He wills.'' this I swear on the Terra's eternal light. -The Creed of the Shepherd's Guard In spite of their priestly demeanor, the forces of House Tiuse outfits its House Troops, known as the Shepherd's Guard, with weapons and vehicles on par with that of the rank and file Imperial Guard. House Tiuse has made quite a name for themselves in several campaigns against both Xenos and heretics distinguishing themselves as a very capable military power. While meant primarily as a defensive measure for pilgrims and refugees, often acting as armsmen aboard House Tiuse's fleet they are also capable offensive soldiers as they field both Chimeras outfitted with multilasers and Leman Russ tanks. Numbering Roughly ten thousand each of these soldiers are issued a * Gratia pattern lasgun- manufactured solely for house Tiuse this pattern in the standard issue longarm of the Shepherd's Guard- in keeping with their attitude toward religious matters the name translates from High Gothic as "grace"- refering to the Emperor's Grace, which protects them and keeps them strong enough to fight. * Gratia Minor laspistol- also produced solely for House Tiuse their sidearm is dubbed simply the "Lesser Grace" * combat knife/bayonet- a nine inch blade with a serrated edge it can mounted onto the lasgun or carried as blade all its own. The pattern also includes a handguard that slips over the user's knuckles. * An Aquila Pendant which also serves as a dogtag, displaying the owner's ID * flak armor/helmet As there are thousands of members of the Guard the house thought it best to issue them with a common pattern of armor that could be easily replaced. Painted in black with dull bronze accents the armor also bears the House Sigil-painted beneath an Aquila over it's wearer's heart. They typically fight in much smaller units, usually companies of ninety men supported by a pair of Leman Russ tanks or three Chimeras. Often acting independently of each other they are known to react and adapt to changing circumstances quickly,giving them a tactical flexibility that makes them very dangerous enemies. House Fleet While the bulk of their fleet reflects their peaceful objectives, composed of armed merchantmen carrying defensive weaponry some of these merchantmen are also carriers, home to Thunderbolt Squadrons. These armed vessels are hidden amongst commonplace cargo ships, meant to surprise any pirates or xenos with hostile intentions. They also possess a number of Sword ''class Frigates and several ''Defender class Light Cruisers for times when more overt shows of force are required. House History Founding (800M41) Once a poor and desperate pilgrim one of the early house heads prayed for wealth at a shrine- he invested the last of his money in a local commodity, soon netting him a modest return. Thanking The Emperor for this event and his good business sense he continued to build his business and wealth, setting his sights ever higher. After centuries and many generations of the family working toward the single goal of obtaining a warrant of trade Delevan Tiuse's grandfather was able to do so- dying shortly thereafter. His son,long concerned with the poor souls inhabiting their region of the Segmentum Obscurus put his late father's vision into practice, assembling a fleet and an army to transport and protect pilgrims and expand his fortune in the process. It would take another lifetime and so Delevan Tiuse is the first of the House to see dream of his ancestors fulfilled. Skao (888M41) Delevan Tiuse, still a young man and eager to put his newfound wealth and resources to use established his first colony world, deliberately choosing a difficult target so as to test the newly established Shepherd's Guard. They did not disappoint him, they established a fortification and camps in the space of only six months and within two years Skao was purged of the mutant "Creepers" and "Crawlies" and from there the first settlers built farms on what little arable land they could find. Now more than a century later Skao is thriving, the colonists' farmland, most reclaimed from the swamps produces enough to feed thousands and the recently discovered Prometheum wells fuel House Tiuse's vehicle and weapons plants. Drabatis(998M41) The Shepherd's Guard fought alongside the Eagles of The Void Space Marine Chapter near Drabatis. One of the Chapter's cruisers was badly damaged during a battle with a group of Ork Freebootas and the crew called for aid from any Imperial Forces in the area. The House answered with a pair of Sword Frigates and three armed merchantmen, all of which carried fighting men. The Chapter's officers quickly took charge of the battle, using the lighter vessels' speed and maneuverability against the slow and cumbersome Ork Croozers while they made repairs. This battle continued for over an hour before the Eagles of the Void reentered the fight with a single devastating shot to the lead Ork vessel- breaching its hull and starting fires that quickly spread out of control. The ensuing blast caught another of the cruisers, crippling it and making it an easy target. The other two Croozers were easy prey for the Imperial ships. The Cruiser remained with the convoy traveling to a Tiuse colony where they could make more permanent repairs. Category:Imperium Category:Rogue Traders